When you plan to adopt a rescue cat, it’s vital to take some sensible steps to make sure you get the adoption process right. In the long term, this will make a world of difference to you and your cat. Here at Cheltenham Cat Rescue, we passionate about responding to the growing need to assist in the rescue and rehoming of the hundreds of homeless cats and kittens across Melbourne.

Advantage Petcare recently got in touch with us for a blog they were putting together about rehoming rescue pets and wanted us to provide some advice.‘The Ultimate Guide to Bringing Home Rescue Pets’ is full of expert advice on making the transition as easy and gentle as possible for both your cat and you. We were delighted to be asked for a contribution, as this is such an important area to address. The tips we gave are what we advise anyone hoping to adopt a CCR cat.

Check you’re a match Before you adopt a rescue cat, it’s important to check that they are actually the type of personality you’re looking for and that you can establish a bond with them – this is essential if the adoption is going to work in the long term. At CCR, potential adopters have to fill in an application form and have a chat with the foster carer of the cat they’ve applied for to see if they’ll be suited to each other.

Spend some time with them first All our potential adopters are invited to the foster carer’s home to spend some time with their chosen cat before the adoption can go ahead. We’ll only proceed if the foster carer thinks there is a definite personality match. It’s not responsible to adopt a rescue animal you haven’t met and got to know before you take them home.

Play with them at home Once you get your rescue cat home, it’s vital to build trust with them through interactive play. Cats, by their very nature, are hunters, so toys that provide for this sort of stimulation – something at the end of a string that can slide dart and wriggle around the room – will assist. Play reduces their anxiety and stress and will help them settle in with you more quickly.

At Cheltenham, we believe that all cats deserve and safe and happy home. With the right start, you and your rescue cat can go on to develop a lasting and rewarding bond. For further information and advice about adopting a rescue cat, please contact CCR – we’re always happy to hear from you.

While most of us were probably heading out for a Saturday night out or maybe even sitting at home getting dinner ready, a couple of awesome CCR carers – Kiril and Joey – were responding to an urgent call for help.

The tenant of a property called us yesterday afternoon, very distressed. She could hear a kitten crying and thought she could see the kitten through a small space behind the electrical box.

These aren’t called we usually have the resources or equipment to respond to, but when the tenant mentioned that she could see the kitten we thought we had a chance.

Kirill climbed into the manhole and down into a section of the wall…heavy going work. His massive efforts paid off in that he was able to rescue a tiny kitten. Only a few weeks old, Lexi – as she was to be named – was rushed to a bottle feeder for warmth and food. Foster carer Keely, says she was waking every couple of hours for food, as was her level of hunger.

We aren’t sure if there are others there 🙁 We hope not but we are staying in close contact with the tenant just in case. A further rescue mission may need better equipment with people who are specialised in such work – but we shall see. There are good days and bad days in rescue. Days of highs and lows and days where you wonder why you do what you do. Today was one of those amazing highs! xx

On behalf of Lexi and the tenant who called us, I want to thank the team of carers that made this happen last night. You all rose to the challenge and just went and did what you could to save a life. No questions asked.

Saving the life of one animal won’t change the world, but the world will certainly change for that one animal
-unknown author

Kitten Adoption Melbourne – When Ivy first adopted Tibbers at one of our adoption days in August, it was a worrying few nights at first. When they arrived home, Tibbers spent the first night between two cardboard boxes…and Ivy was sure she’d lost her! A beautiful cat, she was very timid yet Ivy was determined to make it work.

Ivy spoke to us regularly for support and we provided her with advice to ensure smooth sailing in the weeks ahead. Ivy never forced the interaction with Tibbers, but understood the importance of letting Tibbers find her way in her own time. Ivy read Tibbers’ cues and knew when she needed her space.

And the patience paid off! Tibbers is now LOVING cuddles from her new Mum and she is very much a part of the family. Ivy tells us that she has her own special scratching tree in the lounge room where she spends her time surveying her kingdom! Thank you, Ivy, for knowing that Tibbers would come around eventually and that she just needed time and space to settle in!!!

Reva was born at a work depot in North Melbourne. And we’ve been trying for weeks to trap her Mum…but she is very ‘street savvy’.

Today, Mum was moving her little ones and was somehow disturbed in the process. Normally we’d watch and wait for Mum to return but on this occasion, she’d left Reva right in the middle of the road where she would most certainly have been run over. So, we’ve come to the rescue to take care of her until we can reunite her with the family.

LIFE-SAVING MITTEN KITTEN HOSPITAL FUND!
Help us buy equipment for our Neonatal carers and get the vet care needed for our mitten kittens!

We LOVE our bottle baby carers (neonatal carers).
Orphaned mittens like these little ones don’t stand a chance without them. For CCR, our bottle feeders are worth their weight in gold.
Sacrificing sleep, these carers work around the clock to feed, toilet, burp and cuddle – and they will do this for weeks….until these poppets can learn to do all that themselves.
Emotional? Yes
Exhausting ? YES!
Rewarding? HELL YES!!l

Pregnant Cat Rescued – HAPPY ADOPTION TAILS!

Pregnant Cat Rescued – Scarlett came into care as a very pregnant Mum in August of last year. She gave birth to two gorgeous kittens and then went on to act as a lactating Mum for another two!
Once her kittens were weaned, Scarlett was also listed for adoption and in walked Melissa! It was love at first sight.

Melissa wrote to us recently to say “Scarlett is so beautiful and I don’t know what I did without her. She definitely has the run of the house. She is so affectionate. She always requires me to pat her with both hands.”

Thankyou for such a happy adoption tail, Melissa! What an awesome end to a rainy Monday in Melbourne. 😀😀

Adopted Cats Cheltenham – Happy Adoption Tails – LULU and ARLO.

Life’s Motto – Siblings who play together, stay together.

Adopted Cats Cheltenham – Not quite bonded at the hip, but close enough, are LULU and ARLO. These gorgeous bubs came into the world together and have been adopted together. Rescued with their Mum and siblings back in November 2016, they have truly landed on all four paws.

New mum, Julia, tells us that ARLO has developed some kleptomaniac tendencies, and walks around the house collecting all he can find to run away with as his toys. And LULU – well, she’s quite conservationist and loves to tell you all that she’s doing. Julia says she is most talkative on her way to the toilet!

We do love it when kitty cats can go together. Sadly, many assume cats to be solitary animals and you only have to think of well-bonded cat colonies to know this isn’t quite the case. And sure, just like us, they like their alone time, but they also really love the company of one of their own.

Thanks Julia for adopting these two. We know they will give you loads of love and laughter -now and into the future.

]]>Finding a friend for your cat – Stripe, now Goodbye, finds his forever home and his new best friend.https://www.cheltenhamcatrescue.org.au/finding-a-friend-for-your-cat-stripe-now-goodbye-finds-his-forever-home-and-his-new-best-friend/
Tue, 06 Jun 2017 04:03:55 +0000http://www.cheltenhamcatrescue.org.au/?p=6864

We all need a friend! Are you finding a friend for your cat? Let Cheltenham Cat Rescue help you!

Lonely cats and kittens are prone to becoming little mischief makers when they are left to their own devices. So why not find them their very own bestie? Having two cats is actually far easier to manage than having just one. Once they have grown accustomed to one another, the pair of besties will take comfort in each others company.

The task of introducing two cats can prove to be a tricky one at the best of times, however, it does largely depend on the temperaments of the cats and most of all how slow you take the process. If you take the introduction slowly and with a lot of love, treats and toys, your new kitty and existing cat will be best friends for the rest of their days. The process of introducing a resident cat to a new family member must be executed in stages in a neutral territory. One of our CCR representatives will help you along the journey as well.

Greta had her gorgeous 7-month-old kitten Hello and knew she had to find Hello a friend. That’s where Stripe came into play, now named Goodbye. (hahaha, we love the name change! It is very fitting). Hello and Goodbye do just about everything together, from playing to snuggling.

CCR wishes to extend our joy, happiness, and thanks to Greta. Welcome to the CCR family and please keep us posted on all your family adventures. Our team is so happy for you guys, we are so grateful that you found us and know we have found the best forever home for Goodbye.

I have a 7-month-old kitten already, and her name is Hello. So, I have renamed Stipe to be Goodbye.

Hello and Goodbye absolutely love each other. It took a couple of days, but now they follow each other around 24/7.

They sleep curled up together and are super sweet with each other. They do play like crazy kittens, chasing each other around my house like nothing I’ve ever seen. But it’s all fun.

So, thank you for allowing me to adopt Goodbye (Stipe) and please pass on my thanks to his foster carer for raising him to be such a sweetheart.

Thanks,

Greta

Are you finding a friend for your cat to bring extra warm fuzzy lovey dovey feels to your home? Get in touch with us, we have plenty of cats and kittens looking for their forever homes and would love to meet you today. View all our Cheltenham Cat Rescue cats, consider adopting one of these love bugs and join our CCR family.